By Degrees
by Miranda Raizel
Summary: "I have waited a thousand years for you."
1. Next

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related with or to 'The Original's' like characters etc.

**Pairings: **Finn and Freya

Slight Finn/Kol

Maybe Kol/Freya

**Summary:** "I have waited a thousand years for you."

**M note: **The story is AU-ish, characters are ooc-prone and I might divert from canon but incest is still involved. Although I explained it in 'Autem'...so yeah basically same principle.

Finya is 'Finn/Freya'. Idk if it's a thing or a ship name but the thing is, it's one now.

I was listening to 'People get still' and 'Union' by Deptford Goth

**M note 2:**know this has nothing to do with the story but oh my Destiel feels and Cas's tie.

Shit ok I died when Cain said his fate would play backwards because that means Dean found his Colette in Castiel and all the foreshadowing. I feel so sad for Crowley but his mom is awesome.

* * *

"Hugin and Munin

Fly every day

Over all the world;

I worry for Hugin

That he might not return,

But I worry more for Munin."[1]

\- excerpt from the Eddic poem 'Grímnismál'

Here's a fun fact. Odin's raven's names are derived from hugr, 'thought' and munr, 'desire'. Both of which are distinct parts of the self in their own right.

* * *

**By Degrees**

He was not supposed to be alive or at least not still attached to the body he had been possessing previously.

Finding Hope wasn't intended to be a suicide mission but he was ready for it just incase.

Paranoia did him well this week. He had confronted his demons and made someone happy in the process.

Kol would hate him for a while but with any luck and he'd get over it soon. His other siblings, he couldn't care less about.

Well Rebekah isn't that bad. Niklaus just loves pissing him off and Elijah is nuisance.

Still as he looked around the morgue he felt strange. Safe but on edge all at once.

His plan had worked but his tie to magic was severely damaged.

Words couldn't express the levels of shock he was in when he woke or noticed who it was that saved him.

"Why would you help me? Now that we're on the subject, how did you do this? Only person I knew who could..."

She waited for him to drink some water and he did after a moment then continued solemnly.

"Died a thousand years ago, her name was Ayana. She was the most apt of the Bennett bloodline where magic was concerned. Have you heard of them?"

He felt goosebumps for a second but ignored it as he sat up and put on a new shirt.

"Aunt Dalia taught me many things. Shame mother didn't help you much. I don't know many people outside of well, anywhere. I'm not exactly a people-person."

He moved to touch the necklace she had let him barrow and she gave him a sad look as he whispered the words.

"I had an accident when I was human. It's ironic so I won't give details. But to summarize, Ayana convinced our parents that the best thing for me was to lose my magic until I found you or well my priestess."

She looked away for a second and he didnt bother catching her gaze as he said.

"I tried calling out with my magic long ago. It terrified me that I could never get an answer."

Freya looked like she was about to leave as she spoke quietly.

"Calling for me? For years I tried the same. Even after my escape but you were asleep. I got to see our siblings. They are monsters but Rebekah is different, she is kind and lonely. Like you."

Silence filled the room and he couldn't help contemplating her words.

The beautiful girl next to him looked livid in her ire and he was briefly reminded of their father.

Speaking of parents, his were probably awake and aware that he had failed them. Again.

Damn.

Dalia would come for them all but perhaps they still had a chance if and only if they work towards the same goal.

.

"I despise traitors. Elijah will rue the day he moved against you. That is my vow to you, brother."

Finn blinked as he smiled slightly then shook his head and pulled on a jacket that had been sitting on a nearby chair while he spoke.

"He will reap what he has sown in due time. For now he isn't a problem."

Soon the members of the Mikaelson family would need all the help they could get.

He didn't want to call 'truce' but knew they needed him more than anyone was willing to admit.

"Kol is dead. At least his human corpse is. Soon he will be what he's missed most, a vampire."

She handed him a scarf but he declined by raising his hand in a stop motion. With a sigh she put it on herself and spoke quietly, curious in manner.

"You turned him into the one thing you hate above all else. Why? Didn't you tell me that when mother turned, you nearly died of a heart attack."

Freya gave him an weary look as she waited for him to answer.

When he did she couldn't help the odd feeling bubbling up inside her stomach and couldn't even pretend to be okay with the answer.

"He missed it. And has a better chance at survival now that he's back to his original body. Honestly as a witch he couldn't cut it."

Finn laughed lightly then stood up and began to pace the room as if that could be of help to him.

Freya tossed him his phone and cursed when it hit the floor because it had landed a few cemeteries away from him.

They laughed as he picked it up but it died when he leaned against a wall and sat on the floor.

"I just wanted you back. Now you are here and she wants to take you away. Our mother sacrificed everything for us. Our father loved us. I have fallen from grace but it's not too late for you, sister."

Freya walked over to his side quickly and wrapped her arms around him as he cried into her shoulder.

It was an ugly cry and he felt good yet bad about it. All these emotions just came at him.

Somewhere in his mind he knew he should have registered embarrassment but he doesn't and can't for the life of him remember when the last time he did this was.

Perhaps it was the day Freya was claimed. Was it the day Henrik died? Maybe when Niklaus killed their mother. Or the night he awakened from a coma just to realize he lost his magic.

It mattered not. At least in this moment it didn't.

.

.

She kissed him suddenly and with gentle ease but he pushed her back with a little more force than he had intended.

"What are you doing?" He wiped at his tears and breathed for a bit to calm himself down. Maybe he imagined it?

She smiled cheerfully then kissed him again before he could protest. Okay he wasn't going crazy, great.

The kiss seemed to electrify something within but he didn't want to do this.

Not because he found her unattractive but shit like this needed to stop because the 'keep it in the family' idiom was taking on a whole new meaning to him.

"Freya, don't. You do not want this, at least not with me. Trust me."

She began to unbutton his shirt at a deliberately slow pace. All the while looking him in the eyes as if searching and she said.

"I knew you were mine the second you were born."

"Munin."

There it was, the tone she had heard a few nights ago. It made her feel interested but she stopped her actions when she heard her old nickname.

How sad was it that she missed hearing him say it more than she missed her own mother.

Probably, very.

He touched her shoulder gently for a second then continued, sure that she would heed his words.

"You are awake for a year out of a hundred. This is not happening. I will not ruin you or drag you down. And that line, if you never use it again in your life it will be too soon."

He began to move but she held him in place with a hand although no magic was needed.

"Pretend I'm him."

Freya whispered the words quietly as she started to take off her shirt.

"Fuck me."

"I can do that."

"What no it's an expression not a suggestion."

He handed her shirt back as he stood up quickly and resumed his speech in a sincere tone of voice.

"Listen, you are lesser to no one. Why is it that all of our siblings think that? Like did I miss a convention or something. Whatever. Look Frey, you are my sister-"

"Right like that ever stops anyone. Look you have been asleep for 900 years, I think you are my best option at the moment."

It clicked instantly but he wanted a confession so he went along or tried to sound as if aloof.

"How do you know those words, Freya?"

Her playful smile seemed to dissolve as he whispered the words while leaning just enough to make this dangerous.

"Now that I think about it, why put them in that order?"

Freya giggled for a moment then sighed and looked dead-serious as she looked him in the eyes with all the commanding grace of a Mikaelson.

She stood up quickly and spoke calmly but he knew better.

"I saw you and Kol near the cemetery on the day that you cursed him. I would have made my presence known but the two of you were a bit occupied. Now I just want what is mine, you."

.

.

.

"That son of a bitch! I am so not shocked by this outcome but thought he was lying. I am happy to back in my body but I'm gonna kill him. Finn is going to-"

Kol couldn't help smiling like a loon as he broke the lid off his coffin but stopped moving and talking to himself when both of his parents just stared at him expectantly yet somehow confused.

"Excuse me?" Esther gave him a look and Mikael rolled his eyes then tossed him a blood-bag.

"Where is Finn, Kol?"

Mikael asked the question as he looked around for a second then his eyes landed back on his youngest son.

"Elijah went pyro on him so he probably body-jumped. Did you know that Finn killed me? Yeah, that happened. Oh have I got news for you. Your favorite child is back."

Mikael and Esther gave each other a wtf look and both were probably going to say Henrik so Kol burst their bubble.

"Freya is alive."

* * *

**So: **I saw most of the 'I love you, goodbye' episode but 2 questions.

1.) Why was Elijah crying? Like I don't get it, they just fucked once.

(Is that what people do at weddings now. Why not just buy the happy couple a toaster or a full-expense-paid trip to Fiji. Fuck, I'd probably give them both because Jayley is awesome.)

2.) How does that merit tears but his brothers dying before him don't?


	2. Cover

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related with or to 'The Original's' like characters etc.

**Pairings: **

Finn/Kol

**M note: **I was listening to 'I will not bow' and the cover of 'Dirty Diana' by Breaking Benjamin both acoustic covers are on point. That's my favorite song from Michael Jackson btw.

* * *

"Come with me Finn. I need you by my side."

"You can't say things like that. Or in this manner..." He stopped talking when she stood near the doorway and gave a beautiful smile.

One completely different from anything he'd seen from her.

Freya felt a comfortable warmth fill her heart as she saw him staring at her like she was the only thing he lived for.

"We have a few things to consider or take into account before we follow through with our plan."

"Such as?" He noticed the way she paused before answering and something in his subconscious said he should not trust her so blindly that experience had taught him better.

"First, I'm going to retrieve your magic. Your real magic."

He ignores it but will listen if there are any potential threats headed at Kol's direction.

"Ayana took it from me when I was human. Said she would keep it safe until nothing held me down. Now nothing does and you're here. What do you need next?"

"Your original body. I need your blood and you need mine."

"What are you implying?"

She did not like the hesitant glance he throws her way but thinks it _almost_ understandable.

"Together we will show New Orleans, our siblings and parents what real power is. Together. No one will stand againts us. Not even Dalia but we have to apply ourselves."

"We are coven leaders after all."

He says words that he thinks she wants. Doesn't know what she is hoping to get out of him but will keep her safe.

In truth he knows that she can protect herself without assistance but he wants to be a part of her life.

.

.

"What if it's a trap? Nik you and Elijah shouldn't go." Rebekah said the words to no avail because she knows her brothers won't listen.

"We aren't leaving you alone with them and apparently Kol is back. Finn had stored his ashes and Freya brought him back from the lame version of Purgatory."

Elijah spoke as he walked a little faster.

If he thought having both of his parents back was bad. Adding a pissed of Finn and a betrayed feeling Freya to the mix was worse.

At least they had a slight chance of Kol being on their side.

.

.

A few minutes passed before everyone with a right to the Mikaelson name was present.

That was a lie.

Marcel was laying low because he doesn't want to die. Hope is with Haley, Jackson and the wolves in her pack.

Mikael went 'Mia' while searching for the items needed to stop Dalia from taking his favorite child again.

Dalia is probably killing civilians to make her point clear that she is someone in need of what is owed to her.

**Somewhere in an abandoned warehouse because why not**

So after a few awkward 'hellos' and 'oh I thought you dieds' out of the way many things were broken.

People were a little scared, annoyed and curious.

Esther was not making anything better.

"It pained me to see you go. I knew you were promised to her so I didn't grow attached to you."

"You felt pain. You. _Felt._ Pain."

Freya looked absolutely disgusted but the ire and disbelief overrun the emotions coursing through her as she screams the words.

" How dare you. Come into my house and bitch about my shortcomings?!"

"You live in a warehouse?" Rebekah knew it wasn't the time but was surprised by the place.

"No. Well I rent the place from time to... That is not important, sister." She held her hands up in a back off motion as she kept quiet.

"Freya, please -" Elijah tried to keep the peace that was hanging on thin threading around them.

"Yeah Freya, get over yourself. You had it easy. Asleep in a damn box like Finn here. Pathetic."

Klaus smirked as he spoke but it stopped when she gave him a headache with her magic.

"You say I left no void in your life." She turned from Esther to Klaus as everyone in the room tensed up at her overall collected attitude.

"That I had it easy, right. Why? Is it because unlike you I am not afraid of being alone?"

Klaus smirked as she looked at him with an air of superiority and he knew he would never come to like her.

Rebekah looked at Elijah, Finn and Kol as she said the words.

"Perhaps we should leave. This seems like a discussion for you women..."

"I'm not done with you, yet. I can show you. All of you. What real suffering is. Let's begin with the witch that started it."

Freya made it feel like every bone in Esther's body began to twist within herself as she laughed, it was a happy sound and all the way in 'TVD' Kai knew he found a bestie.

"I can't let you do this. She's our mother. Our siblings have nothing to do with this. Let them go."

"Step out of my way, Hugin. My anger is not aimed towards you, our siblings or father."

Finn said words that told everyone in the room that he was not playing.

"I will not hesitate to stop you if you hurt our mother."

"She is no mother of mine! Hasn't been since I was five! Why don't you understand. Why aren't you by my side?"

Freya felt tears as she stood still but saw nothing other than Finn and spoke brokenly. With the underlying promise of cruelty in her words.

"Get out of my way. I'm begging you. Brother. I do not want to hurt you but this bitch is going to die whether I walk over you or not."

"C'mon sister, on with it. Don't allow our brother's words to cloud your judgement. Esther deserves it after all."

Klaus wasn't done talking even though his mother gave him the most betrayed look he had ever received from anyone.

"Selling you like off to the female version of Rumplestilskin. That's pretty evil. Something vile that has no doubt haunted you for millennia. Why is no one coming to rescue me? What did I do?"

"Niklaus, shut it." Elijah knew that he was pushing it and would be next if he kept taunting their sister.

"Come off it Elijah, she tortured you for days. On that alone, I should be the one to kill her but as Freya wants some poetic justice."

Kol smirked then continued the conversation by saying.

"And she seems capable of kicking ass, while not giving a flying fuck. I say why not welcome her to the family."

"What. Call this a home-coming gift?" Rebekah asked sarcastically.

As Kol replied nonchalantly while glancing at Finn.

"From most of us, of course."

"All in favor, raise your hands. I want to do a headcount."

Five hands went up in the air as Finn struggled to keep himself sane.

"If you harm her-"

"What, Finn." Kol looked at him expectantly but the answer to his question wasn't one he wanted to believe.

"I will leave."

The way in which he whispered the words made everyone in the room know that the threat was solely directed at their brother and Freya let frustration seep into her actions.

Kol felt like feeling nothing so he wouldn't.

"I am bored of your shit people. Here's the solution." Kol ignored the looks of unease everyone present was giving him.

A 'normal' Kol was a menace to society but a Kol with his off switch activated is a force only few can deal with.

He vamped behind Esther and cut her stomach open with a pocket knife so that she could at least have a little fun trying to hold her own entrails for a bit as she suffered at the hands of merciful death.

After a few seconds he ripped her head off and tossed it at a wall with enough force to crack it open like Humpty dumpty.

Even in his 'I give no fucks' stage he knows whatever Freya would have done to their so called mother would have been so much worse.

Klaus smiled something evil as Finn stopped his struggle against the hold Freya raised to stop him.

Elijah just walked away without a care and Rebekah gave everyone the biggest disappointed look of life.

"That was just too easy. Watch this won't you little brother." Freya mended Esther quickly as Klaus looked what he calls 'somewhat' impressed.

.

.

.

Finn cornered Kol in a hallway and pushed him back against a wall with enough force to crack it.

The irony was not lost on him.

"You are dead to me."

Kol broke free of his hold on him and looked at him with confidence as he whispered the words a little closer than necessary.

"No. I'm not."

"You are." With that he began to channel his Original magic and fell to the ground as it seemed to overwhelm his current human vessel.

Blood ran down his nose and mouth as Kol screams for Freya and she runs in a few seconds after Klaus.

"Well. Isn't that interesting." Klaus felt his smile die as he heard music that signaled Dalia's arrival.

-Because apparently Dalia has theme music. I wonder how powerful you have to be for that like Silas and Qetsiyah didn't even get that.

Anyway-

"Take him to his apartment. Here. Use this to ward off anyone." Freya handed Kol a small bag probably full of witch-y crap and he dipped without looking back.

With or without his 'switch' on he didn't want to meet Aunt Dalia because honestly he was sure that he would get on her shit list so fucking quick.

.

Kol stopped somewhere near a Farmer's market and most people there gave them questioning looks as they saw Finn coughing up blood.

"Where do you live? Hey. No. Finn, I will have none of that. Stay awake." Kol looked a little worried even without his emotions on.

He snapped his fingers near his brother's face to see if he was lucid as he lashed out in pain and frustration.

His speech was slurred as he tried talking and Kol ignored it as he bit into his third dorsal compartment and put the web space of his left hand to Finn's mouth.

"Don't you think it a little sad that people in our family always find out what can harm them at your expense."

Blood sharing with anyone other than Finn was odd and he didn't like it.

Sure his brother was still inside of the guy being possessed but he didn't really care for Vincent.

He is petty and selfish but he has never been afraid to own it.

"You feeling better there?"

"I'm never trying that again." As soon as he finished talking he threw up of Kol's shoes.

"You have no idea how lucky you are that I love you." Kol looked at his shoes with disgust as Finn leaned against the wall and took a few deep breaths.

"You could have moved, no one stopped you."

"I'll take that as a yes. The you being 'good' answer to my question."

Finn reached into his pocket and handed him his keys while saying.

"Of what use am I? If I cannot weild my own magic."

Anything he would have said that moment did not feel like something he would be proud of when he switched it back on so he sighed and looked him in the eyes as he spoke nonchalantly.

"There are plenty of qualities that make you someone I want in my life."

"I'm sorry that I tried to attack you and that it backfired on me."

Kol laughed as he helped Finn to his feet and handed him a napkin.

"You just keep those around?"

"Hell yes. That, my pocket knife and taser. Uh it's a habit now. As a human I got allergies in the morning. Now give me your address so I can clean you up."

"You waste no time." Kol smirked as a few tourists gape when he vamps away.

.

"What are you going to do now that you're a vampire?" Kol stepped out of the shower as he ponders the answer.

Finn had brushed his teeth and ordered pizza for himself as his brother was showering.

The only reason Kol had agreed to turn his humanity back on was because his brother had agreed to let their siblings vent out on their mother.

That meant torture and things of the like but she deserves it so no one is really opposed to the idea.

"Leaving to Aruba. Hey, you threatened to leave. Why not do it with me." As he said the words he pulled a shirt on and dropped his towel on a couch.

"That's not a question is it."

"More of a suggestion. Call it 'I really hope he says yes'." Finn smiled slightly as he opened the door and paid the delivery girl.

"I am tired of being here but how am I supposed to leave when Freya is back and we are all in danger."

"She can die for all I care. Niklaus is the cause of this mess, he can fix it. If the kid was promised to Aunt Dalia then she can take it. Better her than me or you. All of us."

Kol rummaged through Finn's underwear drawer and put on some boxers then got some socks as he continued talking.

"I know this is going to sound fucked up with my humanity back on and all but I give zero interest to someone that makes Klaus so damn boring."

Finn seemed to agree as he went to the fridge and took a six pack of beer and a bottle of aspirin.

He motioned a 'you want one' without actually saying anything and Kol smirked as he caught it effortlessly.

"I can't go."

"Then don't." Kol drank half then looked at the jeans on his brother's bed and put them on while saying.

"I'll stay for now. Who knows what type of adventures will come our way. We might as well stand together."

Finn smiled slightly as he bit into a slice of pizza. "I enjoy my human life."

"I doubt you will have it for more than a week. Here's to life." After he took a drink he said what had been on his mind since he got there.

"Why is it that sleeping beauty here is in your life all of five minutes and she already knows where you live?"

"I just started renting the place. You are welcome to stay if you want. All of the furniture is new."

"Right. You just happened to think I would need to know that." Finn shrugs as Kol sits down next to him while eyeing him all suspicious-like.


End file.
